I’ve always loved steel hardtail bikes. In fact, with just one exception in the 1990’s, every bike I’ve owned has had a steel frame.

But you might wonder why I’m such a fan of hardtails when full suspension bikes give you the ability to ride harder/faster. The easy answer is that there is nowhere to hide with a hardtail bike. You have to pick your lines, you have to really ride your bike and use your skills – and that’s what I love so much about it.

So, when I was invited to join Team 18Bikes and start riding their new No7 steel hardtail, you can bet that I was excited to put it to the test. Read on to see what (and why) I chose for the build and, of course, how I’m enjoying riding my No7.

First, the demo

I was lucky enough to borrow the shop’s demo bike for a few rides before ordering my frame. It’s something I would strongly recommend to anyone before parting with your hard-earned cash, no matter what bike you’re buying.

The first thing that struck me about this bike was just how comfortable it felt. There was no stretched out feeling, just a nice roomy cockpit.

Secondly, was the ‘snap out of the gate’ feeling I got when stamping on the pedals. You’d think with stiffness like that, descents would be spine jarring experiences, but no! Once pointed downhill, the steel frame came alive, tackling the rough stuff with ease.

Not having ridden such a long bike before I found that I was still shifting my weight over the back (force of habit) on the first few descents, but by the final descent of the day I stayed central over the bike. The long wheelbase and weight evenly balanced over both wheels gives such a stable ride that you can really let rip.

The demo had me hooked and I ordered my own No7.

The Build

Frame

The No7 frame is handmade in a small unit on the outskirts of Sheffield (the Steel City). Being based on the edge of the Peak District with some of the finest mountain biking in the country, it’s the perfect place to design and build a mountain bike. For those wanting to know more, you can read about the 18 Bikes production process here.

Back to the frame! 18 Bikes size their bikes a little differently to most brands. At 174 cm tall (or 5’9” in old money) my frame is the 475mm, fitted with a 35mm stem, and with the saddle height at 700mm I have fitted a 210mm dropper post.

Forks

Due to its uncomplicated design and ease of set up, I chose the DT Swiss F535 140 forks. Put in the recommended pressure, a few clicks of rebound, leave the compression damping fully open (recommended by DT Swiss) and you’re good to go.

I can honestly say that I’m impressed.

Wheelset

At the time of ordering all the parts for the build, DT Swiss were the only other company to hold a license for the new Shimano microspline freehub. I’ve fitted an M1900 rim up front with the harder hitting E1900 rim on the back, both with DT Swiss hubs with straight pull spokes.

Tyres

I decided to stick with the old maxim “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” and fitted Maxxis Rubber to my wheels. I’ve used Maxxis tyres for many years now and have always been happy with them.

Up front, I have a Shorty 2.3 3C/EXO/TR and, on the back, the ever-faithful Minion DHR ll 2.4 WT 3C/MaxxTerra/EXO. They’re a tubeless set up (does anyone run tubes nowadays?).

As the trails dry out and the mileage increases over the summer months (once the current lockdown situation improves), these will no doubt be swapped out for something a little faster rolling.

Drivetrain

Having always been a fan of Shimano and with 12 speed trickling down to the more affordable groupsets, I’ve fitted the SLX M7100 12 speed. A 34t chainring and 10-51t cassette gives me a huge range of gears, and 170mm cranks finish the package.

Brakes

The only donor parts I’ve fitted to the build from my old hardtail are HopeTech M4’s with 180 rotors to take care of stopping power. Bought from 18 Bikes in 2009 (yes, you read that correctly!), this is the third bike they’ve been fitted to and, with a bit of TLC, they’re as good as the day I bought them.

Seatpost

With the huge amount of clearance given by the sloping top tube, it only seemed right to fit a massive dropper post. At 210mm the OneUp Components is probably one of the longest on the market.

It’s certainly the shortest overall length for the amount of drop and, at half the price of some of its competitors, it was a clear-cut choice for me - plus I’ve had their V1 dropper on my full suss for some time without fault.

Finishing Touches

My bars and stem are Burgtec RW (RideWide) Enduro alloy bar at 800mm with 15mm rise, along with their Enduro Mk2 stem 35mm. Bartender Pro grips and the Cloud saddle take care of the contact points.

As for pedals, I like to be clipped in so it’s the Shimano Saints spd platforms. In winter I often switch to flats - next winter will see me running Burgtec Mk5 Penthouse.

I’ve also added a bit of frame protection courtesy of the guys at HKT Products. Custom printed with the 18 Bikes logo (and also made in Sheffield) they can custom make frame protection kits to your design.

The First Ride

I collected my new bike in the shop from Matt who had personally cut, mitred and welded the tubes together. In my eyes, you can’t get a better buying experience than that. The only adjustment I’ve needed to make since picking my bike up from the shop is to set the brakes up how I like them!

So how was the ride?

What can I say? This bike is Fun with a capital F!

I’m not going to go into all the technical talk on angles, reach, stack etc. All I’m going to say is that this bike has put a smile on my face from day one. I’ve never felt more comfortable and ‘at home’ on a bike from the very first ride.

So far, I’ve ridden it on my local trails, a day in the Peak and had a week at Coed Y Brenin, before Covid-19 put paid to any other trips. However, I’m really looking forward to putting it through its paces on some longer days out as soon as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

The forks are superb, small bump sensitivity is spot on and they don’t dive through all their travel when you hit the brakes hard. It’s exactly what you want when riding a hardtail and yet they still take the sting out of big hits when you need them to. If you’re in the market for new forks, check them out: DT Swiss demo forks, along with their wheels, are available from 18 Bikes so you can try before you buy.

The gears are exactly what I’ve come to expect from Shimano. Shifting is crisp and quiet and I really don’t think you can go wrong with the SLX level groupset.

I’ll finish by saying that 18 Bikes also do the No9 frame based around 29” wheels and a 130mm fork if bigger wheels are more to your liking.

Demo bikes will be available once restrictions due to the Coronavirus are lifted. In the meantime I’m happy to answer any questions you might have, put them in the comments below or give the guys at 18 a call, I’m sure they’d be more than happy to chat.